Automatic fire-extinguisher



(No Model.) 2 Sheet sSheet 1.- 0. W. KERSTETER. AUTOMATIG FIRE EXTINGPISHER.

No. 536,572. Patented Mar. 26, 1895..

(Zm; fersze 2 6 W IM 1 M I Y -UNITEI) I STATES PATENT Curios.

CHARLES W. KERSTETER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC FIRE-EXTING UlSH ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 536,572, dated March 26, 1895.

Application filed January 27,1894. serinnonsaz saa. model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. KERSTETER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Automatic Fire-Extinguishers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in the class of apparatus provided in buildings for maintaininga supply of water under pressure normally sealed against discharge in'the building, but adapted to release the water by the efiect of the heat of fire on the apparatus in guy part of the building provided therewit More definitely stated, my invention relates to an improvement in .the so-called' drypipe automatic sprinkling system, the generally stated construction of which is as follows: The system of pipes for conveying water throughouta building, and which are provided at intervals with sprinkler-heads adapted to have their valves released by the heat of fire, is normally maintained free of water and filled with air confined in the pipes under pressure exerted against a diaphragm having connected with it a valve which'con- 'trols the water-supply to the pipes, the pressure being sufficient to hold shut, through the medium of the diaphragm, the valve against the force of the water pressure behind it. When the valve-sealing medium of one of the sprinkler-heads is fused by fire, required to be extinguished in the building, a vent is afforded for the air in the pipe-system,whereby the pressure therein is reduced below that of the water-supply against its controlling valve, which is thereupon opened by the pressure of water, which thus fiows through the valve-seat and enters and fills the pipesystem, supplanting therein the air; and the outlet aiforded by the vented sprinkler-head permits the escape through it of the water upon the fire.

The object of my invention is to provide a novel construction of the valve-mechanism normally controlled by the air-pressure, referred to, to hold shut olf the water-supply to the pipe-system, whereby the flow of water, when released, shall not be through the valve seat of the water-pressure controlling valve, thereby avoiding wear on the seat, but through a difierent course leading to the pipe-system, the entrance to which is normally closed by a valve connected with and controlled by the water-pressure controlling valve, and against which the water-pressure normally is exerted to maintain it closed. I My further object is to improve the'coir struction of the valve-mechanism in matters of detail.

Referring to the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 shows my improved device by a broken view mainly in sectional elevation;

and Fig.2 shows, by a similar view, a modi-v fied construction. 1

A denotesa shell, in the head-end A of which is fasteneda diaphragm B, preferably of theconstruction illustrated, comprising an annular tube a" of metal, split through longitudinally and having straight annular flanges q and '16 respectively at its outer and inner sides, the former being clamped, between packing-rings q between the bolted sections of which the head is formed, and the latter being clamped between rings 0 againstthe peripheral flange an, of a solid center n of the annular diaphragm-ring.

An advantage of the described diaphragm- :structure is the more perfect elasticity it afifords in the diaphragm.

Midway, or at any desired point, in the shell A, is formed avalve-seat G, suitably packed, for a valve 0, connected from its center with thatof the diaphragm B, by a common stem -B, passing through the valve 0 and carrying at its end a valve D fitting against a seat D in the shell near the end thereof opposite that covered by the diaphragm and affording the connecting passage between the Water-inlet passage E to the shell and the water-outlet passage E leading therefrom to the pipe-system,-not shown but that referred to as being provided with sprinkler-heads.

F is abranch-pipe communicating at one end with the outlet-pipe E, and between its ends, at m, with the chamberl afforded in the head A by the diaphragm; and toward its opposite end the branch-pipe Fshould be provided with a valve 70..

The aforesaid pipe-system is normally filled 'with air under pressure, which may be introduced, by. pumping, through the branch-pipe "F; and, obviously, it exerts its pressure,

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through the communication m, against the outer surface of the diaphragm, thereby causing the latter to resist the pressure against the valve 0 of the water-supply at the inlet E. The surface-areas of the diaphragm and valve 0 are so proportioned that owing to the excess of the former over the latter, a comparatively low degree of air-pressure will overcome that of a higher water -pressure against the latter; and, as will be seen, the normal seating of the valve 0 is assisted by the pressure of the water, which is always be-- tween the valves 0 and D, against the latter, the surface-area of which is still less, than that of the valve 0.

When the air-pressure escapes from the pipe-system, as by the opening of a sprinklerhead valve, the resistance of the diaphragm to opening of the valve 0 under the head of water against it, is removed; and when that valve is thus unseated it pulls, the valve D open, thereby permitting the water to pass through the outlet E into and, fill the pipesystem. Of course the branch-pipe F then also becomes filled with water, as also theshell this need not disturb the preponderance of.

front side of the diaphragm, because that will, in the first instance of opening the watervalve, have forced a head m on the center of the outeror rear side of thediaphragm against the mouth of the pipe-section m to close it; and as the surface-area of the head m, then opposed to the water pressure in the pipe F, is very much less than that of the opposite side of the diaphragm, the preponderance of water-pressure accordingly exerted against the latter cannot be overcome by the pressure against said head, so that the water-valve remains open.

of water, this may be done by opening the valve and water in the chamberland shell, at the opposite side of the diaphragm may be drained ofi through the tap-cocks 2', while that in the outlet E may be caused to escape on withdrawing the plug it.

As will thus be seen, my improved construction perfectly avoids the flow of the waterpressure about the valve employed for normally resisting its flow, with the undesirable wearing and other consequences, and it causes the valve-closing eflfect of the air-pressure to be supplemented by the pressure of the water against the'outlet-controlling valve D, whereby additional safeguard is afforded against faulty operation of the device.

The foregoing description and the drawings set forth myinvention as applied with a diaphragm as the medium through which to direct the air-pressure upon the common; stem of the valves C and D for seating the former against the opposing water-pressure. The

diaphragm, however, may be entirely dispensed with, without departure from my i'n vention, by directing the air-pressure in the" pipe-system immediately against the adj acent surface of the valve 0, according to the construction illustrated in Fig. 2, wherein the head m is shown to be provided in the rear side of the valve for the same purpose that it is provided, as described, on the diaphragm, and the area of that surface of the valve 0 should then be properly proportioned to exceed that of the opposite surface to cause the lesser degree of air-pressure to overcome the greater water-pressure. An additional seat (1 should then also be provided for the valve O. The device then performs its function in 1 substantially the same manner, and the construction presents the same advantages, as

with the diaphragmthat is to say, when the air-pressure is released, thehead of water against the valve 0 operates the stem B to unseat thevalve D and, open communication between the inlet E and outlet E; the flow of water is avoided through the seat 0' of the primary controlling valve 0; and the head of 1 water between the two valves, by its press- 1 ure against the valve D, supplements the airi; pressure seating effect. on the valve C.

A between the valve CY and diaphragm; but

l by Letters Patent, ispressure of the water against-the inner or r in the distributing pipes,,the supply of water a to the pipe-system of a fire-extinguishing api paratus,a shell having a water-inlet and a wa- 1 ter-outlet, a valve for saidoutlet seated in the 1 shell to open against the water-pressure, an opposing valve of larger areain said shell seating against the water-pressure under opposing What I claim as new, and desire to secure 1. In a device for controlling, by air-pressure air-pressure in said pipe-system, said valves 1 flanking the water-inlet totheshell, and a pipe 1 for conducting the opposing air-pressure, said 1 pipe connecting the air-pipe system with the chamber back of the larger valve in the shell substantially as described.

When it is desired to'drain the pipe-system 2. In a device for controlling, by air pressure in the distributing-pipes,thesupply of water 1 to the pipe-system of a fire-extinguishing apparatus, a shell having a water-inlet and a wa- I tor-outlet, a valve for said outlet seated in the shell to open against the water-pressure, an opposing valve of larger area, in said shell seating against the water-pressure, and adiaphragm controlling both valves and exposed to air-pressure from said system to maintain the two valves closed, substantially as described.

3. In a device for controlling by air-pressure the supply of water to the pipe-system of a fire-extinguishing apparatus, a shell containing a diaphragm exposed at one side to air pressure in said pipe-system, and comprising an annular flanged split tube of springy metal and a solid center in the anuulus,a-water-inlet, a valve of lesser surface-area than and connected withthe diaphragm and seating against the water-inlet pressure, and a wateroutlet provided with a valve of lesser surface- 1 area than and connected with the water-pressure opposing valve, substantially as and for the purpose, set forth.

4. In adevice for controllingby air-pressure eating with the said water-outlet and opening the supply of water to the pipe-system of a into the shell against the outer surface of fire-extinguishing apparatus, a shell A conthe diaphragm, the whole being constructed taining a diaphragm, a water-inlet E, and a and arranged to operate substantially as de- 5 water outlet E communicating through a scribed.

valve-seat D',a valve D on one end of a stem CHARLES W. KERSTETER. B connected at its opposite end with the diaphragm, a valve 0 interposed between the In presence ofvalve D and diaphragm on said stem and hav- M. J. FROST, I0 ing a seat 0 and a branch-pipe F communi- W. N. WILLIAMS. 

